Saturday, July 27, 2013

A SUV bearing a picture of Prime Minister John Key which crashed at the cordons outside the Seoul war memorial where he gave a speech today. Photo / Katie Bradford-Crozier

Prime Minister John Key's image, along with that of Adolf Hitler were displayed on a vehicle which a protester attempted to drive into the crowd at South Korean armistice commemorations this morning.

New Zealand eyewitnesses report seeing security personnel at the tightly guarded event attempting to break into the jeep type vehicle after gas cyclinders were spotted inside.

"All we saw was this jeep just try to approach the crowd at the back and try and crash into the crowd but all it crashed into was the back of a truck", a member of the New Zealand entourage attending the commemorations said.

The man and another New Zealander who saw the incident said the van displayed images of Hitler giving a Nazi salute and Mr Key with finger across his lips.

They said it was clearly protest of some kind.

However, they also said they saw security staff trying to break the windows of the vehicle get the male driver out and they also said there appeared to be gas cylinders inside.

Mr Key had left Seoul's National War Memorial by the time the incident took place and the vehicle was cleared from the scene quickly.

Monday, July 22, 2013

The people who take part in political polls don't know the real David Shearer. He doesn't have a long political experience as a MP, but neither did David Lange. OK, David Shearer is not an orator, and neither is John key who can't speak clearly. Key has a financial background, Shearer has a background in looking after people.

David Shearer was born in Auckland, brought up in Papatoetoe. His father was a school principal and his mother a teachers aide. They worked hard and managed to give David a world class education. He has the principles to become a prime minister of New Zealand.

They taught the values of hard work and the experience of working together so that everybody gets a fair go and the chance to succeed, no matter their background. That's the real Kiwi way!

Those very values took David to places like Somalia where he was involved in feeding 30,000 children, and to Sri Lanka where he and his UN colleagues carried exam papers across battle lines because the people knew the value of education that would change their lives positively for a new future.

In Iraq, David led a 500-strong team working with local people to rebuild schools, hospitals and power stations. He saw at first hand how bringing communities together and giving them a chance to participate which was as valuable as the rebuilding itself.

He said it was real hard graft but it made him the type of person he is today. He is now dedicated to make a difference working In NZ.

New Zealand has great foundations which have been eroded and are making life more difficult for Kiwi people. We are declining as a society with fewer opportunities and constant struggles. He won't accept that future for NZ and its citizens.

That is why he is championing ideas like Kiwi-Build, which will put 100,000 families into new affordable first homes over ten years. He also supports One-in-a-Million, which will ensure companies receiving government contracts will have to make new opportunities for Kiwi workers.

To David Shearer, politics is about people working together to find new solutions and having the courage to do what is right. He said he has spent his working life to give people a better life, and will fight for a future of opportunity for all New Zealanders.

Good on you David Shearer, and while you do that John key will be in the counting house counting his personal 50 million dollars. Hail the next prime minister of New Zealand, David Shearer.

Sunday, July 21, 2013

The first EQ was on Friday and a swarm today centred just off Wellington. 5.8 this morning and 6.5 tonight. A lot of minor damage in Wellington City but not much out in the Hutt Valley. There has also been a swarm of aftershocks througout the day too. These are actually out in Cook Strait and not in the double-faultlines through Wellington and the Hutt Valley. They will check things out properly tomorrow. The airport was out temporarily until a new navigation light system was set up. Ferry couldn't berth and commuter trains out for the day. They have only recently been operating fulltime since the massive storms we had a couple of weeks back.
My niece in Christchurch 200 miles south rang because she was in her office at home and felt the shock. She was concerned for us afater all their experinces down there with major earthquakes from late 2010 and 2011 and 12000 aftershocks since.
Earlier today I wrote on my FB timeline, a quiet Sunday. Yeah right! http://www.geonet.org.nz/quakes/felt

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

2012 comment: Pride Petterson-Robati - Massive talent. Backrower who has it all. Ballskills, footwork, defence,you name it, he lined up twice when god was dishing them out. Doesnt turn 17 till June so not eligible to play till then.

You can say you read it online here first, at Beyond the HuttRiver:

A few years after the Melbourne Storm recruited Wellington Schoolboy rugby league star, Pride Petterson-robati into its ranks, and a couple of years after recruiting Cade Umaga, son of former All Blacks and Hurricanes Super 15 Rugby captain from rugby union, the Melbourne based NRL club has recruited three more Wellington players into its ranks for 2014/15.

The Wellington Dompost daily newspaper wrote a college based sports article this morning describing its three new recruits for next year who will play alongside Pride, and possibly Cade if he is still in Under 20's football.

A giant two metres tall Wellington College schoolboy rugby union player, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, and Scots College first XV captain Eli Vole, are expected to join St Pat's Silverstream prop forward Joe Apikatoa who has another year at school, at the Melbourne NRL club.

Asofa- Solomona who plays No 8 for Wellington College, has had an association with the Storm for some time and has already attended training camps in Melbourne. He has a foot injury at present, but wants to get through the current rugby season before talking publicly about his future plans which would undoubtably include playing as a second-rower in league.

Melbourne Storm recruitment manager, Paul Bunn has reportedly confirmed that Asofa-Solomona and Vole were scheduled to join the NRL club.

Asofa-Solomona was an omission from the Hurricanes Under 18 training camp this week, and is not exp-ected to be considered for the New Zealand Schools rugby side. A sacrifice for the league recruit. He has been described as one of the biggest players of his age, two metres tall and a 118 kg and has impressive ball running and off-loading skills. Already the size of many international rugby union locks, it is rugby league that will entertain his thoughts in the near future. The Storm look after their players, including the young recruits, and Nelson may find it difficult to leave if he re-considered rugby union in future years. But he is still only 17 years old and has many years to consider his future in either rugby code.

Eli Vole is a rugby second five eighths and has been on the Storm books since he was 14 yrs and has recently made formal contact with the Storm. He has played both rugby and league, and is expected to head to Melbourne later this year. He will be still eligible for the SG Ball Under 18 team, but hopes to play for the Under 20 Thunderbolts next year.

The third of the Melbourne Storm recruits is Joe Apikatoa, another physically impressive player at 1.91m and 115kg. He will be trialling for the NZ Under 18 league team this week He has not fully committed to the Storm as yet, because he still has another year at school in 2014. He could move to Melbourne in 2015.

If these three players show the same talent and determination as their fellow Wellingtonians, Pride Petterson-robati and Cade Umaga, the Melbourne Storm should be well served in future years. The Melbourne Storm continues to identify many talented players before other clubs - a credit to its recruitment staff.